Sing It Out
by Truthful Blasphemy
Summary: I ran away from Battery City. What comes next? Killjoys, rescue missions, brainwashing, more rescue missions, friendships, romances, confusion, family, mistaken identities, and a Trans Am.
1. I'm Not Okay

**Here is my MCR story that I have MAJOR inspiration to work on. Also, just finished chapter 2 for my other one!**

**I AM GOING TO SEE MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE IN THEIR "CONTAMINATE THE WORLD" CONCERT!**

**Disclaimer: I do not (obviously) own MCR or (the super sexi) Gerard Way.  
**

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The room was small and white, nothingness on every side. The only variation in the four walls was the vague silhouette of a door on one of them. During the day, the only way you would be able to tell it existed were the four thin black lines outlining it. During the night, iridescent purple light seeped through from the stark white hallways. Outside the walls of the room there was a constant flurry of activity.

Scientists running tests, employees nodding blankly at instructions mumbled through intercoms. Faceless people wearing black and white boots scurried up and down the corridor in white uniform jumpsuits and carrying guns. Every two or three days someone would attempt to rescue him. False alarms nearly every time. He still hoped, though.

The occasional _click click click _of stiletto heels on the linoleum flooring left the sole prisoner shivering. He didn't want to admit it, but the gaunt Japanese woman scared him. It was _her _piercing eyes that haunted his nightmares. Today the hallway was quiet, the only sound was the guard occasionally shifting position or asking for clearance to this sector of the building. The two blue-white lights thrummed with electricity, seeming to contain a hive of bees that would overtake him with their sound. Their gentle, insistent humming that never ceased.

There was no true _time _in this horrid place. When he had been out in the desert, he could tell when night and day started and ended. There was the rising and setting of the scorching California sun. You could tell everything by the length of the darting black shadows on the ground. That's the land he missed, the land where his friends were. The land where time and colors and _people _existed.

The only color he knew was red. The brightly dyed crimson of his hair that was slowly growing in black at the roots. It was jaggedly cut and fell into his eyes like curtains. The shaggy display was his only entertainment during the very boring days when the broadcasts on the in-wall radio stopped. They taunted him sometimes, playing clips of Dr. Death Defying's radio station. It worried him that they knew of his friend's secret weapon, but thankfully no one understood the code. The Dracs were too stupid and Korse was no better at it. They had tried to make him talk, but he refused.

Party Poison waited in that colorless, bleak little room. He seemed to wait forever. But he had to see what tomorrow would bring.

Days were ticked off by the number of meals he received and what they consisted of. The scientists who ran The Institute had lots of money,\ and provided lavish meals for the three or four patients they had. Party Poison knew he was only being held here until they decided how and when to kill him. He had attempted to escape more times than any normal person could count, but he continually failed. So he waited. Waited for what tomorrow would bring.

PARTY POISON / \ NOSIOP YTRAP

She didn't have a lifestyle like all the other teenagers her age. The pills had no effect on her, although she took the assigned dosage every day. She could still see in color, still smell, still understand, still be curious, still _feel _things. Her boyfriend, (ex-boyfriend now) didn't feel anything. He said "I love you," like a robot. She'd had enough of it. She was going out into the world to find those Killjoys.

The Fabulous Killjoys had come to her school once. They had taken little Gracie Jean away. The four men had been intimidating and fierce; the TeachBots didn't even interfere as they escorted Gracie out, looking rather like an old action film. She'll admit, she watched behind them for a multicolored explosion to occur.

Gracie had looked happy to see them and ran out of the building while pulling on a helmet and rainbow vest. Color was forbidden in Battery City! The citizens were issued their clothes, and they consisted of black and white uniforms. These "Killjoys" must have had something to do with all the revolutionary movements going on behind the government's back, and she was desperate to find them.

Katarina Kalvingston was her given identity. Her parental units were Martha and Robert Kalvingston. Normal names for normal people, that's what BL/Ind said on the commercial. That's what the Identification For The Future pamphlet said when it arrived every month with the government-issued baby names. The same old mechanical, stoic, boring, _black and white _that she was sick of.

One night she snapped, deciding that she was _through _with this life. She wanted to be her own person since the sedatives had no effect on her strong-willed mind. She grabbed her wallet and a duffel full of food and water before sneaking out of her house and into the dark streets. Of course it was like something out of a Ray Bradbury novel, with no one about. Everyone was programmed to be asleep by now. _That's what the pills told them to do._

By midmorning she was lost in Zone 1C with no idea what to do. Then she saw it, a figure moving along the dusty road wearing _polka dotted tights? _She might have been hallucinating, but Kat approached it anyway.

"Hello!" Kat called. The figure instantly pulled a light blue spray-painted ray gun. "Stop! I'm one of you!"

"Get over here, hands in the air," whoever it was approached slowly on roller skates.

"I'm sorry to have startled you," Kat apologized.

"My name is Show Pony, and there is nothing to be sorry for _if _you're telling the truth," the person, apparently a young man, said darkly. "Ever since Party Poison died, we've been a lot stricter."

"I have no idea who that is sir," Kat mumbled, allowing the man to search her bags for any weapons or tracking devices. Pleased with his discoveries, the man put his gun away and looked her up and down.

"What are you wearing?" he asked in disgust.

"Clothes," she stated. He shook his head in impatience.

"Killjoys wear _colors_," Show Pony insisted, scooting her along to a rundown radio station. It was there that her first real Killjoy outfit was bestowed upon her. After changing, Kat looked down at herself in comfortable pleasure.

A pair of tight, dark purple skinny jeans that had rips at the knees. Her shirt was lime green and said "KEEP YOUR GUN CLOSE" across the front in block letters. Overtop that went a black leather vest with multiple pockets and silver studs. On her left thigh was a black leather holster, complete with bright purple spray painted ray-gun. She pulled the gun out, examining it. It was obviously old and worn, out of date by her standards.

"Today is the day Killjoys," a man dressed much like a pirate entered the room. She felt confusion take over as she struggled to listen and understand the strange code he was speaking in. "We're busting Party Poison outta there!"

"But he's dead!" complained Show Pony.

"Not as far as I'm concerned," Pirate Guy stated. "He's dead to me when I see the _body_."

"I'm sure," Kat muttered under her breath, looking around for the first time. The small safe house was dilapidating under their feet, the walls were warped and the ceiling was sinking in on itself. "I'm Dr. Death Defying by the way," Pirate Guy, now Dr. Death Defying, introduced himself. "Call me Dr. D."

"I'm Katarina," she offered hand to shake.

KATARINA'S POV

"That's a boring BL/Ind name!" said an unfamiliar man. Three unusual figures stood against a table, clustered together in a huddled group.

"I don't have another one," I shrugged. They looked back and forth between each other. One of them, with nearly shoulder-length black hair stepped forward and held her at arms length, examining me. I blushed under his firm gaze, my eyes roaming his face. It was wide, and his smile was infectious.

"I'm Fun Ghoul," he smiled gently, "Ghoul for short."

"Jet Star, Jet for short." piped up the man with the curly hair.

"Kobra Kid, Kobra for short," said the third and final stranger. He had layered blond/brown hair that he spiked up and was wearing red leather. His face struck her as familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. She ignored the feeling as Ghoul began speaking again.

"We had a fourth member, his name was Party Poison. He was Kobra Kid's older brother. He was captured about six months ago by BL/Ind. We've been planning to rescue him for a long time now, but needed another Killjoy's help. Looks like we found one."

_That's where she recognized Kobra Kid from! Party Poison was under her father's care! He was a scientist at BL/Ind's Insitute! She knew that place inside out and backwards! She could help them get Party Poison back…_

"She's barely been here for five minutes! You can't just rush her into your insane plans," Show Pony declared, slamming his fist on a counter. The noise thundered through the house, and a pair of wide brown eyes peeked in the door.

A little girl, no older than ten, stepped into the room. Her curly hair was contained in a helmet covered in stickers. Her rainbow vest was zipped closed and dirt smudged her cheeks. She sent me a suspicious glance. "Who is that?"

"Katarina, newest Killjoy recruit," Ghoul said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. The little girl glared at me now, eyes narrowed in obvious anger and suspicion. _Gracie Jean? _

"Is she one of _them_?" she asked.

"I don't know," Dr. D stepped forward. The little girl's eyes softened as they spoke silently to each other, not needing words to understand each other.

"I'm G-Force," the little girl wrapped her skinny arms around my waist. I removed them, kneeled, and gave her a real hug. I had always been the motherly type.

"What's your nickname?" G-Force asked. I shook my head.

"I don't have one."

"Kobra!" she called over her shoulder. The requested man stepped out of the group. "Get me the purple hair dye and some plastic gloves. Katarina, come with me."

I followed in avid curiosity. She had me get my hair wet under a sink as she prepared something in a little black bowl. I giggled a little as she slicked purple streaks through my blond bangs. I was getting my hair dyed by a ten year old girl, and I really didn't care.

"Don't worry about your hair, I used to dye Party Poison's all the time," G-Force insisted. I just blinked as water stung my eyes.

"I totally trust you," I admitted, surprising myself. I had always been picky about my image, trying to rebel against the rules but still remain free and unwarranted.

"You need a Killjoy name, otherwise no one will take you seriously," G-Force, who I knew was Gracie Jean now, said.

"What do you think you should call me?" I asked.

"I know you from school, you'd always make a lie sound true. I think we should call you Truthful Blasphemy," she suggested.

"I like that!" I exclaimed. G-Force giggled, rinsing my hair out and wrapping it in a towel.

"You' have purple streaks in your hair now, something special for a new recruit."

"Where do you get the hair dye?" I asked, picking up the bottle and reading the label.

"Far away. Dr. D has some connections that bring us colorful clothing and hair dye. Unfortunately, they don't make food," she grimaced at something. I smiled and rubbed my hair nearly-dry. As I walked from the room, G-Force ran ahead. She stood in front of the doorway, with me just behind her but out of sight.

"Presenting the newest Killjoy, a runaway from right in the very heart of Battery City itself, Truthful Blasphemy!" She flung her arms out and stepped aside. I walked out of the narrow door, bowing from the waist. Fun Ghoul was smiling, Kobra Kid was emotionless and Jet Star was chuckling. Dr. D remained in a good mood and Show Pony was just being obstinate.

"So, I have some important information for you," I said, leaning against the doorframe casually.

"What could _you _possible have to help us?" Kobra Kid spat. I didn't like his attitude.

"Have any of you heard of The Institute on the edge of Battery City?"

"Yeah," Kobra said. "So what?"

"My dad worked there. He said they have this inmate that is under BL/Ind jurisdiction. I've seen him."

"What does this have to do with rescuing my brother?" Kobra interrupted, standing up from his chair to pace the floor. I glared at him.

"If you'd let me finish, I could tell you!" I snapped.

"Hurry _up_," Kobra was just getting on my nerves now.

"Well, I've seen him before. Through a window that looks just like the other three walls. He has bright red hair that nearly covers his eyes, which are hazel. His codename is FKPP, which I'm guessing stands for 'Fabulous Killjoy Party Poison'." I finished.

"This is amazing! She has all the information!" Fun Ghoul clapped his hands excitedly.

"This seems to be moving a bit too fast," Jet interjected. "I'm not sure I trust you. I've only just met you, I mean, we all have."

"I've known her for awhile, before you came to rescue me," G-Force stepped forward, a look of childish impudence on her face. "She could make any story sound true. But this, I _know _she's telling the truth. I know her father and he _does_ work at The Institute. I say we follow her." Every time little Grace stressed a word, she would jab a member of the party in the chest.

"If G-Force believes her, so do I. Even Party knew not to go against Grace," Kobra admitted with a sullen smile.

"Then it's settled. Tell us what you know."

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**Yeah, I spell Sexi with an 'i'. Got a problem with that?**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Nothing But The Truth

**Okay I'm back! I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but I got writer's block and I didn't know what to do. I'm kinda new at this, so advice (Not FLAMES or CRITIQUE. Nice advice) is welcome. **

**Disclaimer: I owneth not the musicians of My Chemical Romance. **

**Also: AMANDA YOU ARE AMAZING! I'M SO EXCITED TO GO TO THE CONCERT WITH YOU! WOOHOO FOR GERARD WAY! **

**Sidenote: Coke Iero...oh yeah!**

**IMPORTANT: Party Poison (My version, anyway) is 20 years old. Okay? Got it? Good! Read on and review!  
**

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"The front door is usually unlocked because the patients are either 'dead' or Frankenstein Creations, because no one outside the lab knows they exist. The back door is under heavy security. It's right next to Party's cell. The doorlock code is his nickname, so I can bust him out if you guys can get me in there. I'll help take down some Dracs too!" I exclaimed, eagerly patting my new ray gun.

"How do we know you'll help us? Or are you even telling the truth?" Kobra asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Gracie said there was reason behind the _Blasphemy _in your name." There was a tense pause, the nervous feeling in the room was nearly tangible enough for a knife to sever. I tested the waters with my words, slowly probing for the right reaction.

"Because I hate Better Living for what they did to a world full of color. They dyed it black or bleached it white. I want to see who Party Poison really is, I mean, he's famous! You all are! All my friends get secret newspapers about your recent attacks, raids, or Draculoid death counts. I was the first one to be brave and step away from the pills and protection. Besides the fact the mind controlling medications have no effect on me," I found the passion and heat behind my words. I shook my fists and raised my voice, rallying them unwittingly to my side. Kobra and Ghoul looked shocked. Jet showed no emotion as he nodded in agreement.

"I still don't think we should trust you," Show Pony interjected, nodded his helmeted head. _Who was he to talk?_

"You're the one who brought me here in the first place," I protested, my hands stubbornly on my hips. "Don't _you_ want to see Party Poison freed?"

"Of course I do, I just think we're rushing this a little bit. We've barely known you for more than three hours and we're trusting you with our _lives!" _

"Pony's got a point," Dr. D stated. G-Force frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together in a childish manner, typical for a ten-year-old.

"No. I trust her. If you guys won't come with us, I'll show her how to hotwire the Trans Am and we'll get Party ourselves," she declared vehemently. Kobra, Dr. D, Show Pony, Jet, and Ghoul looked on helplessly as we high-fived and began planning.

"First we'll need to get into the back door. I have my dad's keys right here," I pulled them out of my bag triumphantly. "Then you guys can cover G and I while we free Party Poison from his cell. Okay?"

"I guess," Kobra shrugged. Ghoul put his hand out, palm to the floor. I put mine on top of his, everyone did likewise until we had a pile of hands with Grace's on top.

"Killjoys, make some noise!" Dr. D smiled. I felt my heart lift a little bit in my chest at his words. _Killjoys…I was one of them now. _

And that was my first day as an official Killjoy.

Tomorrow I would risk my life, and those of my new friends, to rescue a man I'd been watching through a pane of glass for three months. Don't tell anyone else this, but I'd been one of the few people (besides the scientists) to speak to Party.

My father was in important scientist. He was too busy to take care of a girl who was nearly too smart for her own good. He would set me down in that small room behind the blank white wall and tell me to amuse myself. I talked to the inmate, a man with fiery red hair and a crooked smile. Our conversations changed me. I started to think about colors more. I began listening to "109 in the Sky", a pirated radio channel. The world changed and morphed and _constricted _as he described the desert. I wanted to be like he once was. _Free. _

The prisoner carried a hope deep inside him that inspired me. No matter what tests they ran, no matter what threats they used, he just kept going. He wanted to see the desert again, he wanted to draw again, he wanted to sing again without being monitored or punished for it. I wanted to be the one to give him that freedom, even if the only thing he knew about me was the feminine voice coming from a hidden speaker or the occasional food item that was dropped from the trap-door ceiling.

"I think it's about bed time," G-Force said, pulling on my arm and motioning for me to follow her. I snapped out of my reverie, tiptoeing behind her to a small room. Inside were posters, ever inch of wall space was covered in colorful faces. _Kiss, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Green Day, Tokio Hotel, Breaking Benjamin, Jack's Mannequin, My Chemical Romance, _everywhere on the walls were unfamiliar faces. Forbidden music group posters, most of them metal or alternative.

"Party Poison found these for me," G-Force said, her eyelids drooping as she fell onto a rainbow cot to one side of the room. Against the other wall lay a second small cot with a thin sheet on top of it. She pointed halfheartedly, "You can sleep over there."

"Thanks for everything. The home. The name. The hair. The friends. The family. Everything I owe to you, Grace," I glanced gratefully over to the small girl. She grinned back, her teeth white against the dimness.

"Do you remember that day in the seventh grade? Well, you were in seventh grade and I was in kindergarten. Some jerk was trying to shove me in a locker, but you walked up and hit him. Right in the face. You just said 'Back off the kid, moron,' and hit him in the nose. You broke his nose. I remember that, and I wanted to thank you for it," her voice got softer and softer. After barely breathing out the last few words, her quiet snores filled the room. I rolled over onto my side and thought back five years. I did remember doing that, but I'd forgotten who I was defending.

"God bless you, Grace Jean."

I lay with my eyes open for a few more minutes until the rushed day caught up with me, and sleep pulled me into darkness.

I was woken by laughter. Ghoul was standing over me smirking, which made me think, which made me jump out of bed.

"What did you do to me while I was sleeping?" I asked/shouted. Ghoul gave another chuckle before shaking his head and walking away. I stomped into the bathroom and brushed my hair out with the comb I brought from Battery City. _Look at me Daddy, I'm referring to Battery City as if I'd never lived there. I'm talking like a real rebel all of a sudden. I've only been part of the "family" for roughly a day, not even knowing if all of them trust me. I _know _Show Pony doesn't! Oh Daddy, are you even worried that I'm gone? Do you think I'm at school like I should be?_

I slipped back into my new room and woke Grace, leading her by the hand to the room where everyone was meeting. She was very intelligent for a child of ten, and managed to get everyone sitting down and _silent _in less than thirty seconds. (Mostly because she threatened to lock them all in a room with Jet Star after refried bean night)

"This is the plan," Dr. D began. "We'll take out the Dracs at the back entrance and let Truth and G inside. They'll get Party and we'll head out as soon as we clear the Zone cameras, okay?"

"Lets do this!" I exclaimed. My face grew hot as several pairs of eyes slid my direction. "What?"

"You're extremely zealous," Show smirked. I glared at him through my violet bangs, ignoring the chuckles of the rest of the group. He silenced as his eyes met mine. "You really like my brother don't you?"

"He's the reason I went looking for you guys in the first place," I admitted, flicking my gaze around the room, avoiding eye contact with anyone else. G-Force tugged on my vest. I looked down at her imploring brown eyes.

"Did they hurt my brother?" she was so innocent.

"He handled himself very well," I answered, dodging the question. G-Force, taking this to heart, smiled a little bit.

"He's brave. He always has been. I knew he would be very stubborn," her face lit up at the prospect. She probably thought he was like Superman, with injury an impossibility. I shook my hair away from my face and grabbed her hand comfortingly.

"It's now or never, Killjoys," I said, stepping outside into the bright California sunlight. I shielded my eyes with my hand, having no sunglasses. From behind me, Ghoul grunted. I turned to face him. He was holding a pair of lime green framed shades out to me, smiling sincerely. "Thanks."

"You're saving my best friend from a bunch of zombies. I owe you," he smiled. I grinned back, tugging Grace along to the van. The Fabulous Killjoys would be taking the Trans Am, since it was most obvious. We drove at a steady pace, the yellows and browns of the sandy roadsides, blurring edges with the sky. I smiled to myself, despite the situation we were in. _I'm finally going to free him from those four white walls. That nothingness. _


	3. Just Another Runaway

**Disclaimer: I do not own MCR**

**Laughing Matter: I think you are the most epicest ever. **

**Electric Revenge, N3ON Dynamite: You are the koolest Killjoys ever! I love you! Also: haha, silly Korse. "DIEEE!" lolz. **

**The things that happen at the emo lunch table :)  
**

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"_Guys, wait!" I called. Dr. Death Defying turned the stereo down enough to hear me. "I can just put on my old clothes and waltz inside. If I can create a distraction, you can free Party. No one even has the possibility of getting hurt."_

"_Good suggestion," Show Pony said, finally impressed with something I said._

_TRUTHFUL BLASPHEMY / \ YMEHPSALB LUFHTURT_

It had been tumbling through my head randomly when I grasped the idea and proposed it. That was an hour ago. Now I was sitting in the empty parking lot of Better Living Industries, shrouded by a dusty blue van. My knees were pulled up to my chest in anxiety, my breath coming in awkward little pants and gasps like a dying fish.

"Are you ready for this?" G-Force asked, patting my arm soothingly. I shook my head, my purple bangs smacking me in the eye. _How was I going to explain the highlights to my father and the scientists? _As if she was reading my mind, the younger girl fingered my locks gently. "Cover them with your hood."

"Thanks G," I smiled, leaning over the hard plastic seat to hug her. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail with the elastic on my wrist. I pulled my white hood over my head, effectively hiding any strands of color remaining visible. I stepped away from the vehicle, suddenly changing personalities. I went from the nervous-wreck-and-sorry-excuse-for-a-runaway-Killjoy to the scared-after-being-kidnapped-by-rebels-daughter-of-a-scientist. I ran away from the van, looking back over my shoulder as if I was being pursued (Which I wasn't, of course. This was just an elaborate charade for the convenience of the cameras).

I slipped into the door, cringing as the airlock slid shut behind me. _I was on my own now. _I walked down the plain white hallway, my dusty black and white uniform reflecting back at me from the pale mirrored walls in front of each cell. Should I hold my hands on either side of my eyes and lean close, I would be able to see the faces of the inmates as they wandered around their small rooms. There were a few more prisoners now.

The first cell in the hallway was inhabited by two people, a girl and a boy. The girl had short black hair that was pulled back into a half-ponytail and brown eyes that shone even in the dim lighting. The boy had short blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. The next room over was occupied by a black girl with large fuzzy hair, several bits and pieces dyed pink. The third was home to a slim girl with mousy brown braids and glasses. She shared her cell with a thin boy. He had blond hair that covered most of his face, including his eyes. He rubbed small circles on the girl's back as she cried into his shoulder. _They must be recent transfers. Poor things. _I continued on down the row, looking in windows to find Party Poison. I had no such luck, but came across several other unfortunate teenagers.

I crossed the hallway and finally found the cell I was looking for. There inside was the familiar mop of dyed crimson hair. I unlocked the door and stepped in. He shied away, pushing his body farther into the corner of the room. I smiled sadly.

"Party Poison?" I asked quietly. At the sound of my voice, he looked up. The panicked look in his eyes dimmed to a sense of _knowing_.

"You're not a bad guy, are you?" his reply was very soft. I had to strain to hear the words.

"No. I'm a Killjoy like you. Do you recognize me?" I hoped to keep the conversation going until he trusted me enough to escape. Depending on whether or not this room was being viewed by cameras, I prayed that he wouldn't be stubborn and catch on quickly. Both our lives depended on it.

"You're the voice behind the wall," he stated simply. "I turned you Killjoy, didn't I?" My heart crashed against my ribs as the adrenaline-fueled necessity of this mission finally kicked in.

"Yes you did, and your friends are waiting outside in the van! Come on, we've got to get you out of here," I grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door into the whitewashed hallway. It was empty, I had timed everything out perfectly.

"Wait! Get the others too, they're from Zone T3," he said, pausing to open a cell door. The blue-haired girl burst out, wrapping her arms around his neck. He seemed to know them, because he mumbled something into her ear and she ran across the hall and let the dark haired girl out of her cell.

"Zone T3?" I asked, my forehead puckering. _That Zone isn't in California! _

"We're from Michigan, or what's left of it," Blue Hair said, dashing back and releasing the black haired girl and her blond friend. Then the boy with the blond hair and his girlfriend. Eventually there was a small group of seven total Killjoys. _This was _too _easy, they have to be waiting for something to happen. _I pretended that I didn't sense the oncoming slaughter and jogged to the door. I slid my ID through the keycard slot and it slid open to reveal the faceless masks of a Draculoid unit. _I knew it!_ I pulled my gun out of it's holster and shot down three nameless masks before they even knew the door was open.

"GET OUT NOW!" I screamed, my throat burning as my voice cracked. "Party Poison, take them to the van!"

_Please have enough room for them, _I prayed asI dodged a burst of white light, only to drop to the ground to barely avoid being hit by another.

"What about you?" someone shouted. It sounded very far away, so I took it they were running like I told them to.

"Forget me! Get to safety," I called, slamming my elbow into the nose of an oncoming attacker, only to have another mindless zombie grab my arm and twist it around behind me. I yelped, _that hurts like hell! _

"Truthful!" I heard Gracie's voice cry desperately, almost _bleating_. I clung to consciousness as more brainwashed soldiers came from in front and behind. I was lost in a sea of black and white jumpsuits, the smiley face logo staring at me from all directions. It was making me dizzy and sick, I could feel myself preparing to retch.

There were a few colorful bursts of energy and the Drac holding me flopped to the ground, senseless. Blares of light continued to take down the opposing zombies. Despite the best efforts of my friends, it wasn't enough. I was wrestled inside the building. During the struggle, I hit my head on the corner of a wall and the world went black. I liked it better when the color was there.

N3ON DYNAMITE / \ NO3N ETIMANYD

PARTY POISON'S POV

As the group of people gathered near the van, scared and shaken, Fun Ghoul, Dr. D, and Kobra Kid returned looking sad. There was no purple-haired girl in the dusty white pleated skirt and white sweatshirt. Gracie looked heartbroken as she clung to me, crying her eyes out.

"Where's Truthful?" she yelled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. Dust and tears mixed, creating muddy streaks down her cheeks. I ran my finger under her eyes, catching the droplets and wiping them on my prisoner's uniform. "Where _is _she?"

"We lost her," Fun Ghoul said, his head hung low. His curtain of black hair obscured his face, but I could see that he was sad.

"We'll just have to get her back somehow," I said, shrugging. We piled into the van and Trans Am, pulling away from Battery City as fast as we could with the seven extra Killjoys. They had been transferred from a territory to the north that was once called "Michigan". During the fires of 2012, the water of all five Great Lakes had been drained and preserved by Better Living. It became a wasteland there, just like it was here.

"So, I need names for all of you," Dr. Death Defying said, pointing to the scared group of teens.

"I'm N3ON Dynamite," said the slightly pudgy black-haired girl. She pointed to the pale blond boy at her side, "And this is Leather Deathwish."

"I'm Electric Revenge," introduced the blue-haired black girl. She slung her arm around her friend's shoulder, "And Shadow Artist. Don't expect her to talk."

"Okay. You two next," Show Pony indicated the blond boy and his girlfriend with glasses.

"I'm Spaztic Lazerbeam. This is Blaring Silence. He's pretty quiet too," muttered the petite brown haired girl.

"Last and least. I'm Laughing Matter," came the voice of a short boy. Unnoticed before, he had long brown hair that fell into his blue eyes.

"I'm Party Poison," I said, nodding to them. I had chosen to take a ride in the van versus the Trans Am, I don't think my stomach could handle it right now.

"The girl we lost has only been a Killjoy for a day. She wasn't even really part of the team," Show Pony muttered, not really caring.

"Do you even know her?" I asked, suddenly angry.

"She's just another runaway kid who thinks she can handle life as a Killjoy. She ended up being caught by Better Living. _Why _should I care?" came Show's almost nonchalant reply. My rage boiled over and I let my fist collided with Show's face.

"She risked her life for me. She didn't even know who I was," I growled low in my throat, effectively ending the conversation. "You will speak of her with respect!"

Show Pony was silent, one hand cupping his injured cheekbone, the other resting on his knee. He nodded mutely.

"We're back!" Dr. Death Defying announced from the driver's seat. We piled back into the warehouse, sorting out sleeping areas for everyone. I just climbed into Grace's bunk with her. Grace refused to let anyone _touch _Truthful's cot, let alone sleep in it.

"That's for Truthful Blasphemy only," she said, shaking her curls obstinately.

"Then no one will touch it until we get her back," I whispered. The little curl curled up into a ball, snuggled gratefully into my side, and fell asleep. I followed soon after, the face of a purple-haired girl floating through my head.


	4. Two Shots To The Back Of The Head

**Here it is! The entire chapter got deleted by my computer, and I'm really sorry it got updated so late. Although it completely alters the plot, I loved writing this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own MCR. Point made.**

**37 DAYS TILL THE CONCERT!**

**This chapter is for N3ON Dynamite! YOU'RE AWESOME!**

**"And da muddaeffas come up with fish!" :D  
**

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It was dark. An ebbing inky black that seeped in at the edges and smudged everything else into oblivion. Inside the raven world, everything was silent. There was something at the edge of my subconscious that blurred and stung. I realized with a dull, plodding thought process that I was numb. My eyes were useless and I had no control over my arms or legs. I knew that I was unconscious and wondered how I was capable of thought at such a time. _Did Party make it to the van with those other kids? Did Dracs follow them? Is he being tracked? _I didn't give my own predicament a second thought.

I didn't like the terrible choking nothingness. I preferred the sound of guns blasting and shouted orders. I wanted to hear voices. It was then that my body decided that it was going to wake up. As soon as I opened my eyes, I snapped them shut again. The room was so brightly lit and covered in white that it was probably a health hazard. I felt like some sort of experiment, which I probably was. As far as I knew. I cracked my eyelids, waiting for the retinas to fully adjust before widening them a little more, and a little more. After a few minutes I was able to look around the room I was housed in without seeing black spots in my vision. As I said before, everything was sterile and safe. I couldn't stand it.

I waited.

It wasn't too long before a familiar face entered the room. My father frowned down at me, his face creased in ancient anger and disappointment. He spoke before I could even contemplate taking another breath. "I am very sorry to see what's happened to you. Why didn't you tell me the pills didn't work? You know I have stronger stuff!"

"I didn't want the pills to work," I mumbled. Would the adults ever understand that this _wasn't _the perfect world? They were blind and foolish compared to the few people who did know freedom from Better Living. Mind control was the only reasonable explanation, the only one we knew for sure was true.

"Why ever not? They make everything so much better!" his face smoothed out. He was impassive as the medications began to overrun his emotions and smooth them out. It was like ironing a wrinkled shirt. Your body stored these chemicals until you started to get upset or passionate, then the doses leaked out of their storage devices and into your bloodstream. My father had explained many times how the nasty stuff worked. As I watched my Father flatten before my eyes, I realized he was right the entire time. We were puppets to this company.

"The stupid medications," I imitated him, "Just ruin your brain. You may think you're smart, but they're just keeping you from seeing the awful truth about things. You don't know what music is, or color, or taste or touch! I've been exempt from it my entire life! You will _never _truly understand love and laughter and hope and passion until you free yourself!"

"You speak treason," he said, his pale eyes blank. Emotionless. A stone.

"Treason against what? A snotty CEO in a nice black suit?" I shot back. There was nothing holding my mind down. Not like his.

"Treason against our form of government. You must be punished."

A point-blank shot to the heart. Or two shots to the back of the head. I'm dead. It's as simple as those two little words, _I'm dead. _

"Punishment?" I asked. I was afraid than curious, but I still had to sound like a Killjoy. For Party, for Show and Ghoul and Dr. D and Kobra. I had to be brave. Even if it was just fake bravery and false bravado, anything to keep my face from slipping.

"She's awake," came a firm voice from the wall. An intercom system, so they'd been listening in…

"No dip, Sherlock," I rolled my eyes. I struggled to sit up before realizing my arms and ankles had been strapped down to the hospital bed's metal framework. I glared at the air locked door as it slid open, revealing a Japanese woman. She was wearing a boring grey pencil-skirt and business jacket. As she looked down at me, her lips pulled apart to reveal a Better Living-White-Smile. She wasn't deceiving me. Not this time. "Can I help you?"

"You have been accused of some bad things, Miss Kalvingston," said the woman.

"Call me Truthful Blasphemy," I declared, "Katarina Kalvingston died in the desert!"

"It's been two days, and you managed to initiate yourself into their midst?" she seemed impressed.

"I was friends with Party Poison long before I met the others. I talked to him from behind the glass."

"Who gave her clearance to him?" she seemed enraged.

"Father," I shrugged. She turned her burning stare to my dad. He gulped and backed up a few steps.

"It was a mistake, I didn't know he was BLI property!" my Father pleaded.

"Property?" the word blasted out of my mouth. "He's not property! He's a human being, they all are! The Killjoys were right about you! None of you deserve to live! Not even in effigy!"

"Silence girl. Your time is coming," the woman said, glaring. I shut my mouth.

"What do we do now?" this came from one of the other scientists who had entered. I hadn't noticed the three or four pale-as-death men until now. They stood in the corner, lined up in matching lab coats, BLI logo on the right breast pocket.

"Well, they've given her to us. For a fee," the woman said. "I want her inspected and ready for transportation in two hours. No more!"

Then she clicked out of the room in her black stiletto heels, making me cringe with every move she made. I decided to call her Lady, only because she needed a name.

"What does she mean?" I cried, worry taking over again. I tried to calm myself down, but my heart kept racing. Faster and faster. An unnatural metallic taste coated my tongue. I was being medicated! I struggled harder and harder against my bonds as I slipped back into the black, empty space.

THIRD PERSON

As the purple-haired girl slipped into her oblivion, the three scientists burst into action. They slapped a morphine patch onto her arm to keep her down-and-out for at least four hours. They zipped her up into a white body-bag, a black smiley face plastered across the front of it above the words _The Aftermath Is Secondary. _The BLI motto/logo covered yet another Killjoy countenance.

The scientists loaded the body into a white van and took off across the desert highways on their way to the BLI headquarters. Lady smiled contentedly with herself. She had found one of the Killjoys, and she would make the perfect secretary. Lady had kidnapped Gracie Jean in attempt to make a good assistant. Her plan was foiled when the Fab Four came and rescued the young girl, which is unfortunate. Grace, as a child, would have been much easier to brainwash. But this girl would do just as well. As long as it was a female.

They pulled up to the headquarters and Lady smiled to herself.

Let the training begin.


	5. Beautiful Dreamer

**I must admit, I agonized over the wording in this chapter, but I wanted to get it out early cause I owe you guys. Okay, so I'm pretty focused on Kat right now, but I'm getting back to the others in the next chapter. **

**I read a fanfiction where her parents got divorced, but the author wrote "Devoured"...sorry. SPELL CHECK or a DICTIONARY! Otherwise that fanfic was pretty epicly amazing!**

**Disclaimer: Owneth the men of MCR I do not. Though I wish I did...I would sell Gerard to Mandy for a hefty price and still get to pet Ray's hair...**

**ALRIGHT TO THE STORY! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!  
**

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I struggled at first. But didn't everyone? I shouted threats, curses, and wild profanities that made several eyes widen in shock. I kicked my legs out and flailed my arms, desperately trying to free myself from the tight grips of my captors. The Draculoids set me down in an uncomfortable metal chair. It kind of looked like an electric chair, but it was hooked up to something that resembled a vending machine. Large buttons and blinking lights of varying colors lit up the entire thing. I barely noticed the sharp metal hisses that came from the locking restraints around my wrists and ankles. I was used to that by now.

"Initiate Phase One," Lady ordered. I didn't know what Phase One was, nor did I want to find out. I pulled against the steel armbands, wriggling my shoulders. It was useless, I was powerless against them.

"What are you doing?" I asked, on the verge of tears. My bravado had gone and I was dead scared now. "Why don't you just use drugs?"

"My intent is to find the perfect human," she said, her hands clasping together in front of her. She was like a snake, poised and ready to strike as soon as her prey made a false move. "And you can't do that with just drugs. You are the first step towards my goal. I will turn you into my assistant. You will do everything I say and you will not deviate from my instructions. I've tried everything, but some people reject the process. You won't."

"How can you be so sure," I asked, cocking an eyebrow. I hoped I looked snarky and sarcastic. Inside I was trembling.

"Because it worked on your father. It worked on your mother. You were bred the perfect being for this exact purpose," she smirked, "Befriending those stupid Killjoys was just the cherry on the sundae."

"You evil woman!" I shouted. She glared at me out of the corner of her eye, her well-manicured hand reaching to press one of the flashing buttons. There was a dull, throbbing hum and a warm feeling began to resonate through my arms and legs. It turned to magma and reached a fiery hand up through my torso, I screamed and thrashed as the pain stabbed through my spine and up into my head. Then my body turned icy cold, every cell freezing in place.

The world stopped. It shifted and rewound, spinning like a cyclone. Images, sounds, faces, names, places…an unstoppable whirl in my mind's eye. Some of the names started to lose focus and become hazy, along with the that person's face and the sound of their voice. Was it that face? Or a different face? Who was who and where were they from? What did they sound like? Was I right side up? Upside down? Sideways and spinning. Always spinning. I couldn't take it anymore, so I screamed as loud as I could until everything flashed a brilliant, sparkling white and faded away. Then I was happy.

In my happiness, I heard a voice. A man's voice that spoke a strange name over and over again, "Kat. Kat. Kat." I liked that voice, it made me feel safe. I think I smiled.

When I woke up, someone was above me. They were looking down and pointing to a needle in my arm, they were mumbling unintelligibly fast. I was being poked and prodded, notes were being taken, tests were being run. Where was I? _Who _was I?

"What's my name?" I asked. I liked the sound of my voice. It was clear and ringing, not like the dull thrumming of the light fixtures. Men with white lab coats smiled at each other and murmured congratulations. One of them spoke into a small microphone. A lady came out of the side door. She was wearing a grey pencil skirt and a very complimenting grey matching jacket. I liked her already.

"Hello little one," she smiled, patting my head. "I am your new boss. My name is Agent."

"Hello Agent. Who am _I_?" I asked, peering around the room for a hint. Her brown eyes filled with triumph and happiness, possibly even pride. Pride in herself? In me? In the strange men wearing the white coats who were scurrying around like rats in a maze?

"Your name is Katarina. You are my personal assistant," she said. At the name _Katarina_ something clicked and twitched inside my head. It was the name the man had been saying, and it triggered the image of a girl, wearing a white and black plaid skirt, running through the desert. I tried to grasp at the mental picture, but as soon as it came it was gone. I frowned. Agent's own smile faltered.

"Is there something wrong?" she sounded concerned.

"Nothing at all, Agent. I just had the strangest thing happen."

"What?" she asked.

"A girl was running through the desert. I think it was a flashback because she looked just like me," I asserted. She shook her head sadly.

"It looks like we'll have to try Phase Two soon."

"Phase Two?" my voice trembled. She seemed so forlorn, yet I was scared. Why was I scared?

"Yes, Phase Two." she answered mechanically. Then she turned away from me, facing the many Rat Men, who were still running about and looking frantic. "Find her a uniform and good food. I want her in my office in an hour!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

One of the men came forward and offered me his hand to shake. "I'm Dr. Folger," he said, his face was empty of feeling. "Let's get you some new clothes and a warm meal."

"Thank you sir," I said, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. I looked down over my prone, sterile white body. It was cold. "Why don't I have any clothes?"

"You were having extensive testing run on you," he said, leading me to a small door. "And they were getting in the way."

"Oh," that was a good explanation. I liked him. Despite the fact that his face was impassive and he showed no outer emotion, I like the way he was so _blank. _I wanted to be like him. Dr. Folger was like a piece of paper, so easy to write on and fold into any new shape.

He showed me into a closet-like room filled with different sized clothing items. They were white, black, or grey. There was no color, as the world should be. Colorless, tasteless, passionless. Perfect.

"Find an outfit you like. Make sure it fits, then meet me outside," Dr. Folger left me to my own devices. I chose a plain black pleated skirt that came to just above my knees. Onto my torso went a white button up shirt with the BLI logo on the breast pocket, just like the lab coats. I smiled down at myself as my feet slipped into the warm white cotton knee-high socks and black Converse shoes. No deviation from the color scheme.

"I'm finished," I stepped out, my eyes straining for Dr. Folger's familiar face. He scurried over from his seat at a lab station, his blue eyes looked me up and down with an approving glint.

"I like it," he said with a nod, "Come this way now, please."

"Yes sir," I followed him down an empty hallway. He led me to a room full of tables, it was vacant of people. Lunch was probably far over and I was one of the lucky few who got the last pick.

"Just get something to eat and then ring the bell next to your table. Agent will send for you soon, so hurry," he ordered. I nodded and looked down the long row of half-finished dishes of food. I chose a biscuit and salad. Simple but filling.

It didn't really _taste_ like anything, despite the alluring appearance of the fresh greens and fluffy bread. I smiled to myself.

When I was finished, I rang the bell. My plate disappeared from in front of me, almost into thin air. I waited, trying to amuse myself by looking around and spotting blemishes in the paint or cracks in the ceiling. After a thorough search there was a grand total of none.

Soon, thank goodness, a woman came into the room. Her head was bent down and her hair covered her pale face. She came to my side and motioned for me to come with her. I did so immediately. I didn't want to keep Agent waiting!

I entered Agent's office and stood at attention. She looked up from the pile of paperwork she'd been scribbling on, smiling widely at my appearance. I felt very pleased as I asked, "Does my wardrobe please you?"

"You did a very good job," she said, her voice was like honey. Thick and sweet and sticky, full of hidden intentions. "Now would you like to proceed to the next Phase, or remain as you are?"

I contemplated it. Why shouldn't I move on? As long as I didn't lose the sound of that man's voice speaking my name. The call of safety. But why not advance myself? The aftermath is secondary after all, "Of course I will."

"Good choice. Tomorrow morning you'll attempt Phase Two. Now go get some good sleep."

"Yes Agent," I bowed, as instinct told me to, and was escorted from the room by the same silent woman as before.

She showed me to a small dorm room where I would be sleeping. Against one wall was a bed. Not a cot, not a bunk, a _bed. _It had real cotton sheets and a fluffy comforter and matching pillow. I ran and jumped on it, giggling like the little girl I am inside. I buried my face in the warmth of the pillow and marveled at the feel of it all. I discovered that there was another room attached to mine. It contained a shower, a toilet, and a small cupboard filled with all the necessaries. "Thank you Agent!" I squealed, speaking to the empty air. I knew she was kind!

I took a warm shower, loving the feeling of the water running through my hair and washing the purple dye down the drain. It would all grow out in time. After toweling off I slipped into a pair of white pajamas left for me. Better Living was so nice. Next to my bed rested a glass of water and a bottle of pills. Then there was a note:

_Dear Katarina,_

_Take one red pill, two small blue ones, and one white one. Thank you. Get a good night's sleep for Phase Two. You will be woken at exactly 7:30am. _

_Agent_

I felt honored that she'd personally written me the note. I took the assigned medication and slipped into my nice new bed. "Goodnight Agent. Thank you for everything."

Then I welcomed the blackness that sleep brought with it. I dreamed, as I was asleep…and it disturbed me.

_I walked through a building. It was unfamiliar and new, the walls plastered with the faces of people I didn't know. Music drifted through the rooms, pulling me towards its source. It was a boom box. It was small and grey with the word "BOOM" written across the front in neon font. I leaned forward to run a tentative finger over its surface. Someone came up behind me and wrapped their arms around my waist. Whoever it was wore a blue jacket and smelled like sweat, dust, and car oil. I liked that smell. I turned my face into the person's shoulder, inhaling and smiling. _

"_Kat," it was the man's voice from Phase One. I turned around fully and looked up into the person's face. He had bright red hair and hazel eyes. I liked him immediately. "Kat!" _

_He looked worried and desperate now, his eyes changing into darker black pools. Agent's eyes. "Kat," she taunted. A strange man with eyes like mine stood over to the side with a Cheshire grin, counting money. _

I woke up to a loud beeping, my body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. A nightmare. I took my morning pills and got dressed, a walk-in closet having been filled with assorted black/white/grey things in my size. I finished my morning routine and sat next to the door, waiting for someone to come and retrieve me for Phase Two. As I sat, I puzzled over my dream. Why was Agent so mocking? Who was the man with eyes like mine? Why was he counting money? Most importantly, why was the man with the red hair so important?


	6. Ash, Glass, And All My Friends

**Here we go, another fun chappy! If I start turning into a MarySue let me know so I can kill someone off. Hehe, like I could do that! Just lemme know.**

**Thank you N3ON for being my "Number 1 fan".**

**"RAAAAPE!"**

**"I'm not even touching you anymore!" **

**Gotta love us crazy little Killjoys!**

**Disclaimer: I doth not own MCR or any of the band members.**

**In honor of the new Planetary (GO!) video that came out today: Here is chapter 6!  
**

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Morning came like it always did. The sun rose over the California desert at the same time. The lizards and other skittery critters came out from their hidey holes to bask in the morning glow and search for the last few drops of dew on the cacti. Grays and blacks gradually became browns and yellows before they morphed into caramels and golds, coating the ground like a magnificent blanket of color. Battery City may have been a black-and-white wasteland, but the Killjoy domain was beautiful.

"Killjoys assemble!" the order resonated through the hallways of the old diner. Eleven sleepy forms stumbled blindly into the kitchen where Dr. D and Show Pony were waiting. They sat down on counters and in chairs, filling the small room to its capacity. "We need to talk things over and get a few things straight. First of all, welcome back everybody."

Kobra strode across the room and took his older brother into his arms. They both smiled, tears finding their way down two faces; one clean and the other dirty. "I was so worried about you! You have no idea," Kobra whispered. Party's shoulders heaved.

"Yeah, I missed you too. I promise never to do anything like that again."

"You'd better not," Kobra stepped back and held his brother at arm's length. "I'll tie your leg to the kitchen table if need be."

"That's not necessary," they hugged one more time before parting, standing next to each other, and turning to face Dr. D.

"Second: what are we going to do about you?" he pointed to the seven teenagers that had formed a group in one corner of the slowly lightening room. The dark haired girl stepped forward and looked straight into his eyes.

"I'm N3ON, and I have no idea what we're going to do. I suppose we'll leave if you want us to," she shrugged. The blond boy, her companion, stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. She stepped back into his embrace, leaning closer to him. "We just need directions to the closest empty warehouse."

"That's silly! We have plenty of room here as long as you can help find food with the rest," Party assured them, stepping forward a little. He didn't need more than a day to retake his position as the leader. The other three Fabulous Killjoys nodded in affirmation. They were very glad not to have to make that decision on their own.

"I don't think you'll be problem," Jet Star smiled fondly at the group. They were just as scared and confused as the rest had been at first. Even with a mere glance, you could tell who were the leaders and followers and the couples and singles.

Blaring Silence, the second blond boy with eye-length hair, was holding hands with the small mouse-like girl, Spaztic Lazerbeam. Leather Deathwish had a firm arm around N3ON Dynamite. Shadow Artist was by herself, although Kobra had begun gravitating to her. Electric Revenge, the black girl with the large blue mound of hair, was standing near Fun Ghoul, whispering. Deadly Havoc stood away from either group, looking out the door at the endless desert morning. He traced the sunbeams with his blue eyes, making Party wonder why he was so intent on the outdoors.

"Who are you?" he asked. Havoc jumped a little bit before turning to the taller redhead.

"Deadly Havoc," he said in monotone. "Why?"

"I was just wondering why you're staring at the sunrise so intently," Party asked. Havoc's eyes darkened to a charcoal gray, his brown hair fell into his face and made him look all the more menacing.

"I don't know where she is," he said. "I've been looking everywhere, and I can't find her."

"You're still young and we're all looking for someone," Party placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Havoc slapped it away, glaring around the room at the onlookers. _Didn't they understand anything? _

"I don't mean a stupid _partner_, I was talking about my _sister!" _he shouted. Party's expression fell. Tears filled the corner's of Havoc's eyes, making him look extremely vulnerable and small, "I ran away when I was ten. I don't know how I made it out of Battery City alive, but I did. After wandering for awhile, I was found by a small group of rebels around Zone F7. I lived with them until I went out one day to get some food. We had been running really low lately, and the squad cars didn't patrol our area that often, so it was hard to steal. Anyways, when I returned everyone was dead. I attempted to fight back, but ended up being captured by the Draculoids and hauled back to Battery City. I am the only 'newbie' _not_ from Zone T3."

"We'll do what we can to find your sister. How old are you now?"

"Seventeen."

"And how old was your sister when you left?"

"We're fraternal twins."

Every mouth in the room fell to the floor in absolute shock at this announcement. Dr. Death Defying shook his head sympathetically. Show Pony skated over and wrapped the other young man in a hug, which the brown-haired boy accepted gratefully. He didn't often show weakness, and this was killing him. It had been for the past nine years since he left. Havoc thought back on the last time he saw her, _she had blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her pencil was between her teeth as her feet tapped the white marble floor in concentration. Her blue eyes, ones that matched his, scanned the page thoroughly. She was always writing. Always. Her purple hairclip flashed in the sunlight, making him squint. He blew her a kiss before leaving, sneaking out the back door; never to be seen again. _

"It's ok, we'll find her."

"Thank you. Her name was Kat, and she's blond. She has blue eyes and really pale skin," Havoc explained. Grace's eyes widened at the mention of the mysterious sister's name.

"Kat! That's Truthful's real name, isn't it Party?" the little girl burst. Party Poison nodded, his face blank and his eyes wide.

"We have to save her," Havoc exclaimed, looking around frantically.

"As soon as we eat, and I fix the Trans Am. We blew _something_ in the engine last night," Fun Ghoul said, motioning to the stationary car. Party blew a stray hair out of his eyes and sallied over to the safe house cupboard to find food for everyone. This was going to be a long day, he could feel it.

SHOW PONY/ \ YNOP WOHS

"Initiate Phase Two," came the familiar words. I felt that fiery grip latch onto my heart once more. I trembled at the blood boiling in my iron veins, making my eyes roll back in my head and sweat break out on my skin. I had forgotten how much this hurt. _But it is worth it, _I reminded myself. _I need to be like them in order to fit in. _The cold feeling came back, running a pale whisper through my brain and shocking everything to stop it. This time, the memories of a little boy with brown hair flitted past me into the newly created abyss of my mind. I wanted to grab at him, but it was too late before his image, voice, and name were just dust. Nothing but ashes.

It hurt a little bit less that time, and a little bit less was lost in the storm's fury.

"Phase Two Completed," rang out a metallic voice. Agent nodded and my restraints were released. I made it through this Phase completely conscious and aware of my surroundings, which was a feat to behold in a brainwashing session.

"Who am I?" Agent asked.

"Agent, leader of Better Living Industries."

"Who are you?" she smiled, seemingly satisfied with my previous answer.

"Katarina, your personal assistant. I am to do exactly as I am told, and will not deviate from my instructions."

"Very good Kat. You may adjourn to your room to clean up and change your clothes, then you have a session in the office with me. I will send for you in exactly an hour and a half, understood?"

"Yes Agent," I bowed from the waist before marching straight to my room and into the shower. After allowing the steam and warm water to loosen my tense muscles and wipe the sweat completely away, I jumped out and toweled off. On the wall was a panel with a handprint-shape on it, clearly some sort of scanning device. With very little choice, I placed my palm on it. My hair dried! Just like that! I smiled at the simplicity of it all and went to change.

Black skirt. White shirt. Knee-highs. Converse. That is my outfit.

"Agent sent me for you," came a voice at the door.

"Just in time!" I beamed, jogging over and letting myself out to greet that same quiet woman as before. I almost recognized her voice.

"Thank you," I said.

"It's my job," she replied, barely even whispering. She was so frail and quiet, it made me think of a little mouse. _Mouse…Mouskat…A mask…A man…A name…Party Poison! _Images flashed through my head, one after the other. I cried out in shock and hurt, falling to my knees and cradling my head in my hands. The scream issuing from my mouth was like that of an animal stuck in a trap, hopeless and agonizing.

"Make it stop!" I shouted. The woman pressed a button on her belt and began to ring her hands uselessly. Men came running, their booted feet slapping loudly against the clean white tiles and leaving scuff marks. Through the haze of pictures and pain, I realized that those footprints would need to be cleaned off the floor.

One of the masked men began to pet my hair soothingly until I calmed down. When I was breathing normally, I stood and continued walking (After thanking the Dracs, of course). Agent was waiting in her office, a look of displeasure spread across her thin lips. It made me shiver.

"Where have you been?" she asked, the tremor behind it nearly unnoticeable.

"I had a strange flashback and could not move. My most humble apologies Agent," I bowed again. Her look changed from anger to concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes Agent. Drac34532 helped me," I said. She typed something into her computer before turning back to me.

"Your first training session will begin shortly," stood, her hair and clothing immaculate.

"What does Training consist of?" I asked.

"There are four stages. First you will learn how to wield a gun properly. The second you will interrogate a prisoner for details. The third is hand-to-hand combat. The final will be a test to show that you are ready to move on as an agent. Do you want to take the first session right now? Do you think you're strong enough?"

"Of course," I nodded, awaiting further instructions. Agent simply pressed a key on the wall and stood silently. A bright circle of green light erupted from the floor beneath my feet, surrounding my body in a neon glow and nearly blinding me.

"Body type: A. Height: 164 centimeters. Training type: ray gun. Begin session one," a strangled, high-pitched voice came from the wall. Agent smiled and pressed a few more buttons. A helmet and gun attached to wires lowered from the ceiling, onto my head.

As the gears in the helmet began to whir and buzz, the scene in the black glass of the visor changed. In front of my eyes was a landscape I'd never seen before. Sand and strange spiky green plants were everywhere. The sand and dirt stretched on forever in all directions, plateaus dotted the landscape in the distance. Rocks, large and bulbous, lined the two sides of an empty road. A person sprang from behind one of them and I raised my gun and fired. He sidestepped quickly, so I shot again, taking a better look to make sure I would kill him with the white laser beam. This time he fell, hair obscuring his face as his body shimmered and disappeared. I felt no guilt or discomfort.

It continued like that for what seemed like hours, until my arms gave out from holding the gun straight out in front of my body. I learned how to shoot, how to stand correctly, who to shoot and who _not _to shoot. It was a very good lesson overall.

I fell asleep that night, the peace was dreamless except for the constant whispering of "Kat, Kat, Kat," by the man's voice. The sound of safety.


	7. Betrayal At Better Living

**Chapter 7 here we go! This chapter is kinda everywhere because I wrote the last chapter while on Tylenol and Motrin due to the fact that I sprained my ankle and am currently on crutches. It's not fun, but I get to write a lot more. Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own MCR. **

**YAY FOR N3ON, STORM, AND WICKED!**

**Thank you for the reviews, and more of them will make my ankle heal faster!

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Today I was free to roam around the grounds as I pleased, seeing as there were no current prisoners for me to interrogate. Agent decided that I wouldn't need to continue to Phase Three of the Mind Alteration Program (MAP) until I showed 'signs of defectivity'. I had no idea what those were, and would trust her better judgment on that topic. I had found a small side door and slid out of the building into a beautiful Japanese-style courtyard.

Three trees formed a sort of canopy, shading the entire area from the harsh sunlight. A brook ran from one end of the open space to the other, magically disappearing under the white buildings on either side. There was a wooden picnic table under one of the trees, but it was covered in a fine layer of dust. Completely ignored. I found that table sort of endearing, and had wiped the dust off of it's surface.

"I brought you lunch," came a soft melodic voice. I turned around to face a tall blond-haired boy wearing the Better Living Housekeeping uniform. Giving him a grateful smile, I took the tray from his hands and found a nice tree to sit under. I didn't want to use the table.

"Please come sit with me," I asked. He looked unsure. "I'll be sure to excuse you from further work this afternoon." He hurried to my side and sat down with a _thump _in the grass.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Agent sent me out here with this food for you, but I don't know what your name is."

"My name is Katarina," I introduced, taking a sip of the lemonade on my tray. "I'm Agent's personal assistant."

"You mean assassin, right?" he asked, his brown eyes shining in excitement. I laughed a little bit at his childish display.

"No, I mean assistant," I shrugged. He settled back against the trunk of the tree, pulling his legs up and placing his arms on his knees. "It's not really going anywhere yet. I still have to train."

"There was a raid on one of the older buildings a few days ago, wasn't there?" he asked. I didn't hear about any raid! "Is that what they're training you for?"

"I don't know. But I didn't hear about the raid," I said, setting the flimsy plastic tray on the cushy green grass. It could wait. "Do tell."

"Well there was a BL/Ind prisoner in one of the old institutions. His name was Party Poison, I think, one of the Fab Four. Anyway, he was rescued along with seven other Killjoys from another state. They escaped from the Institute with the help of an insider, but the Dracs captured her. She was the leader of the mission, and apparently just a newly recruited Killjoy. She got sold to Better Living by her own _father; _one of the scientists," some of this sounded familiar. It was probably in the briefing packet I'd read this morning. Nothing of much importance ever happened in my section of BLI.

"Well that's interesting," I said, taking another sip of my drink and leaning back. I hadn't relaxed like this in a long while. I let the sun warm my skin and the breeze blow my hair softly away from my face. I loved summer. I continued to chat with the serving boy, just letting the conversation roll and change with any passing mood. That was the most relaxed and renewed I'd felt in a long while.

The feeling was ruined when an alarm went off, and red lights flashed, blares and screeches filled the air. The boy pulled me to my feet and helped me inside. Red and white bursts reflected off the clean white tiled floor, leaving me dazed and slightly confused. "I have to get you to your room as soon as possible!"

"What? Why?" I asked, trying to pull away from him. I wanted to see what was happening. My converse gave me more grip than his shoes, so I had more sway in the fight. Unfortunately, he was stronger than me.

"Just come with me," he tugged on my arm. I refused to follow. With one final effort, he threw me over his shoulder and carried me, kicking and screaming, to my room. I was thrown inside with little ceremony, the airlock swishing shut behind me. I hauled myself up off the floor and wiped the wrinkles out of my shirt.

"Ungrateful little…" I trailed off into a flurry of unintelligible insults directed at the boy. I still had no idea who he was. "Maybe someone will tell me what's going on. It's just for my safety!"

The sirens slowed to a stop, and the sound of feet pounding through the corridors was nearly deafening. Why would an entire Patrol be needed? Nothing ever happened in this wing of the building unless…we had just been raided! I desperately needed to calm down, and then I found my solution.

I noticed the bottle of pills on my bedside table and took the instructed amount for emotion removal. They helped calm me down and make me smooth and perfect again. Just like I should be. It was such a nice feeling, the two small blue tablets slipping down my throat with only water as their aid. Then a few seconds later, I was a normal human being again. Just as average as the rest of them.

There was a sharp knock at my door. I punched in the keys and found, much to my surprise, that it was unlocked. As it opened, I took in the appearance of the knocker. A girl my height with long blond hair and blue eyes. She was round at the edges, a perfect figure really.

"Yes?" I asked, leaning slightly forward into the hallway.

"Agent requests your presence immediately," she said in a monotone voice before turning and walking away. I nodded and checked my appearance in the mirror. Immaculate.

I walked down the labyrinth of passages until finding the door I was looking for. I gave two hollow reports to the plastic surface. Agent opened the door and ushered me in, her face radiant. "I have good news about your training."

"What would that be?" I inquired. Advancement in my training was amazing news!

"As you can probably tell from the look of things, we have just been raided by the Killjoys. But we obtained one of their members for you to interrogate. Now you can continue to Level Two Training," she smiled warmly at me. I felt so proud that she trusted me to interview the new prisoner, and straight away too!

DR. DEATH DEFYING / \ GNIYFED HTAED .RD

PARTY POISON'S POV

We stormed the building, shooting every Drac in sight. I saw the past flash before my eyes, something you don't expect. People always tell you it was your _entire life_. No, all I saw was the night we came to retrieve Gracie from the selfsame place we were at now. I followed my mental map to the back rooms, the ones used for prisoners. That was where I had been, locked in a secure little white room until Truthful came to save me and the others. Surely that was where she would be. Where the prisoners of war were kept.

I flicked my red hair out of my eyes and marched forward, leading my brave little army. Ghoul led a smaller group, made up of the T3 Killjoys, off down one hallway to check the brainwashing control center. Maybe they could destroy it once and for all, or maybe Truthful was there right now. I cringed at the mere thought. She didn't deserve such a terrible ugly fate as being a mindless Better Living zombie. As we were nearing our destination, I heard shouting coming from one of the employee rooms. I ordered Jet to lead on, taking the rest to the back.

"I'm going to see what that noise is," I explained before jogging down the white hall to the door. I placed my ear against it.

"Ungrateful little rat! I've never had a worse friend in the entire world! Ugh! Not even a Killjoy could be that bad!" the flurry of insults included several not-so-nice words in the English language, and possibly several other dialects as well. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. It was Truthful's voice to be sure.

"Kat!" I knocked on the door, calling her real name out. She couldn't hear me. She continued to rant and rave before silence ruled the compartment behind the door once again. I heard the familiar sound of roller skates come up behind me and I turned around. As I suspected, Show Pony stood with one hand on his hip the other holding his gun.

"Hey Show, did you find anything?" I asked. "I found Kat! I'm just going to get the others and we'll break her out of here quick."

"I don't think so," Show said, his face grim. A mix of regret, sadness, anxiety, and betrayal flashed in his eyes. I wondered why it was there at all, why was he so nervous to be alone with me all of a sudden?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean that BLI has my sister hostage, and if I help them recapture you, they'll set her free," he said, stepping closer with every word. I backed up against the door, desperately wishing Kat could hear me. _Where were the others? _"Everyone else is heading back to the rondevous point. I sent out a transmission that we'd already succeeded." he said, as if he had heard my silent.

"You dirty rotten liar," I said, stepping forward again. Show Pony didn't retreat. He leveled his gun at my chest, adjusted a few buttons, and fired. The last thing I remember seeing was a pair of dirty roller skates maneuvering away down the clean white space.

When I woke up, the stinging smell of hand sanitizer met my nose. The smell worsened as a few men swarmed in, buzzing around me and doing _something. _I felt like a specimen on a table, which I probably was.

"Is he ready?" one of them asked his companion.

"Yes, I do believe we can call Agent," the second replied.

"She will be most pleased. Maybe this one is for the new recruit to interrogate," the first nodded happily, his thin layer of white hair falling up and down. _New recruit? _

"They have a new recruit?" I asked, curious about the running of this place.

"Yes, you'll be meeting her in a few minutes for interrogation," he said.

"Another one? You guys know I never say anything," I snorted, confident in my ability not to crack under pressure.

"I have the feeling that you'll want to talk this time," one of the scientists smirked and hurried away to punch buttons into a wall panel.

This could not be good.


	8. Missing You More Than Yesterday

**Did you guys know this was supposed to be a oneshot? Guess not, huh? **

**Anyone who can find and point out my _Labyrinth_ reference gets a oneshot! :)  
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**Disclaimer: I doth not own the rights to the minstrels of MCR! (Sorry, just finished watching Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo Dicaprio...*faint*)**

**Back to business: Read and Review please! Thank you N3ON for all the help! **

**ALSO NOTE: Electric Revenge is my friend from school, NOT the same as chaosbulldog's character. Thank you for noting this. **

**(Little fluff for her in there too XD)  
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Agent ushered me into a small colorless room. It was completely empty except for a man sitting in a chair. He faced us, his red hair dirty and matted; his clothes covered in a thin layer of dust. I could smell him from where I stood, engine oil and fresh air. Almost intoxicatingly disgusting, he wasn't _clean _enough for my tastes. His shoulders were slumped forward, his head was down with his face towards the floor. Either he was trying to lull me into a false sense of security, or he was unconscious. I opted towards the first as his head rose up, his eyes meeting mine.

Curiosity and sadness were pooled in his two hazel orbs, making my heart lurch in the oddest way. I'd never met this man before, yet something deep inside me twinkled with recognition. "Interrogate him as you see fit. No one will be watching you. I promise," Agent smiled at me, patted my shoulder twice, and left the room. I listened as her shoes click-clacked away from us.

"Now, what is your name?" I asked the man. He frowned.

"You don't remember?" he inquired. _Remember what? And _I _should be the one asking the questions! _

"Should I? I've never seen you before in my life," I smiled in the same sickly way that Agent did when she was trying to hide anger. It seemed to unnerve the red-haired man. Perfect.

"Truthful, really. I know you're putting on a show for them, but you have to snap out of it! My name is Party Poison, don't you remember?" he asked a second time as he leaned forward in the chair. I noticed that his arms were bound behind him with plain rope, something unusual for such a high-profile Killjoy prisoner. My employers must be extremely confident in the security today.

"Truthful? Who or _what _is that?" I snorted in obvious disdain. _What a stupid name. _

"Truthful Blasphemy," he said softly, his voice was defeated. "You."

"I am Katarina, Better Living employee," I stated, stomping my foot indignantly. He was making me upset with his silly nonsense talk. I wanted answers. "Now tell me where your hideout is!"

He blatantly ignored my question, choosing instead to keep droning on in that same pleading, hopeless tone.

"You are Kat, a Killjoy who saved me. You helped me escape but they caught you. I tried to get back and help you, but you insisted I get the new kids back to the van! You were brainwashed or drugged or something! Come on Kat! Snap out of this stupid trance!" he wriggled forward in his seat, his eyes pleading silently for me to understand. I felt a tug at the corner of my mind. I recognized something.

"Say my name again," I whispered, my hand floating to touch his face. Rough, but smooth at the same time. _Like the sand of the desert. _

"Kat," he murmured, leaning into my caress. "Kat."

"Oh. Oh my God!" I shouted, jumping back as if my hand had been electrocuted. _I saw Party's face, but he was wearing a white jumpsuit. He had cleaner hair and a paler face. He was drawn, thin, and barely breathing. He smiled at me, and touched something clear in front of him. A wall made of glass? His eyes met mine for only a second before they began to roam around, searching for something, as if he could not see me. It was a double sided mirror! And he was in a cell, looking at the reflective half._

The scene changed.

_He was running out of a door, screaming at a girl. "Truthful! Truthful! Kat!" _

_My name. He was screaming for me. And I was screaming back. "Forget me! Get to safety!" _

Another change of environment.

_I saw a cramped room full of posters, dark and quiet. A little girl was asleep, her face peaceful and small. My hair was slightly damp, a deep purple color as it hung in my eyes. _

The images were scenes, flying around in my head and pushing for more attention. I saw them, one after the other, screaming for me. My blood boiled in my veins, my head pounded in a macabre rhythm. I fell to my knees on the sterile tile, suddenly feeling repulsed by it. This was tenfold the anguish of the brainwashing.

The inferno, the raging fire of memories so recently buried, was threatening to burn through my eyelids and explode outwards in a shower of sparks. I could nearly picture my body lying on the floor, burnt so badly it was nothing but ash. Like a vampire in the sun. A second whirlwind of colors, names, and faces swept through and I was crippled again. More memories. This time like a monsoon that was washing away my sanity in it's uncontrollable tide. I was dying. I could feel it deep inside me like a beast in a cage. I was dying on the floor of Better Living in front of a man who I had such strange and wonderful feelings for.

"Truthful? Are you okay?" the man's voice called through the cloud of confusion and pain. I reached out to it. Begging it to help me, to take me away from this awful place.

There was a flash of red. Bright, blood red. And the world turned a dark and gloomy black. I fainted, sprawled like a corpse on the sanitary white floor.

SPAZTIC LAZERBEAM / \ MAEBREZAL CITZAPS

"Where are they?" Dr. Death Defying muttered as he paced back and forth in front of the abused blue van. His hand was constantly adjusting his glasses or running through his hair in anxiety. Jet and Ghoul had returned with their small armies; who stood in groups, whispering harshly to pass the time. Everyone had gotten the message that Show had rescued Kat and they were one their way out. The tension in the air was nearly tangible. Only the sound of ray gun fire would have woken the group from their strange hypnosis.

"Guys!" Show Pony came racing up, his hand on his side in obvious pain. Just before leaving the building, he had instructed a squad of Dracs on where to find the incapacitated body of Party Poison. "I lost them!"

"What?" Dr. D shouted, snapping his head towards Show. "What do you mean you _lost them?" _

"I mean what I said. I was leading Kat out of the building and Party was trailing behind us, looking out for Dracs. I turned around to check and see if they were okay, but they were gone. Party was probably trying to be heroic again! I went looking for them down a few side hallways, but almost got shot by a group of Draculoids. I thought that maybe they'd already come outside. I guess I was wrong."

"Not again," Kobra fell to his knees, burying his head in his hands and breaking down. "I can't lose my brother AGAIN!"

"It's not like Show lost them on purpose," Shadow said, placing a comforting hand on Kobra's shaking shoulder. "We'll get Party and Truthful back."

"It's useless," Kobra said, looking up at the dark haired girl. "He's just going to keep going in and out of that place as a rescuer or a captive. I can't stand it anymore!" He beat the ground mercilessly with his fists until, finally giving up, he pulled them into his chest and let the tears trace patterns on his dirty face.

"It's never useless," Shadow leaned down and wrapped her arms around the distraught man. She dried his tears with the corner of her torn sweatshirt. "You have us."

"Of course," N3ON stepped forward, "And we'll never desert you! Ever!"

"Come on guys, we should head home and think of a way to stop this monstrosity from repeating itself," Show said, skating tiredly over to the van's sliding door. The rest of the group followed, too exhausted to do much else. The couples trudged hand-in-hand, the rest clumped together.

"Do you think Show's telling the truth?" Revenge whispered in Ghoul's ear. He shook his black hair out of his eyes, one arm wrapping around the thin girl's shoulders.

"Not for a second," he answered, frowning. "I just don't know why he's lying."

"Come on you two!" Havoc called from the van's backseat. Ghoul rolled his eyes and slammed the door in the younger man's face.

"I'm taking her in the Trans Am. We'll see you back at base," he shouted. Revenge hid her excited giggle under a cough and strode off towards the Trans Am, her heart fluttering. Something about him just made her get butterflies. That was a rare feeling in the Zones, when everything was live-hard-or-die-trying. There was rarely an opportunity for a proper butterfly-romance.

They sat next to each other in the driver and passenger's seat. The other two members of the Fab Four had decided to ride back in the van. Ghoul secretly wondered how they all fit in the junky old thing.

Revenge looked over, observing the man as he drove. His shoulder-length black hair flapped around his face in the wind, making him look tough and dangerous. His arms were strong, covered in tattoos. His hands gripped the wheel, firmly but gently, like holding hands with someone. He was only in his early twenties, as far as she could tell. The butterflies had flown out of her stomach, into her heart, and up her throat, blocking even the mere thought of coherent conversation.

"Enjoying the view?" Ghoul smirked over at her. She blushed. He thought her blush was cute, even though it was barely noticeable under her dark complexion. Her hair reminded him of Jet Star's; large and fluffy, but hers was a shocking cobalt blue. She lowered her brown eyes, smiling.

"S-Sorry," she stuttered nervously. Ghoul laughed at her nerves, trying to hide the warm feeling creeping up inside of him as well. The sound of the van honking broke them out of their reverie. They spun out, turning into the parking lot of the old diner. Dust clouds billowed out around all four of the squealing tires, making Revenge nauseous. Ghoul laughed, throwing one hand out the window to feel the grains of sand rush over his palm and disappear back into the air again. He loved the desert! He loved feeling free. And then he thought of Party, and he stopped laughing. As soon as he stopped laughing, the car came to a halt as well. Revenge leapt out, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. She looked back to see if Ghoul was coming, but he was staring straight ahead, saltwater tracks making themselves known on his tanned face. These were not happy tears at all, even from a distance the girl knew that much. Revenge walked to his open window and reached a tentative hand inside. She wiped the tears away gingerly and opened the door.

"You don't have to be strong all the time," she murmured. "Kobra knows that. I know that. You may be the second in command when Party is gone, but you aren't fooling anyone with your brave act. You're just as scared and concerned as the rest of us. You're his best friend, or so I've come to understand. I know that this is hard for you, second only to Kobra, but you have the right to be worried. You can cry as much as you want. Come inside and eat and get cleaned up. You'll feel better, trust me."

"Thanks," Ghoul said. He allowed Revenge to pull him from the car and lead him inside by the hand. She smiled back at him as she walked, making sure that he was paying attention to where he was going.

"Get me a can for Ghoul," she ordered, stepping into the already bustling kitchen. Silence threw her an open can and a spoon, sticking his tongue out at her in the process. "And keep it to yourself, Silence!"

"Be nice," Lazerbeam said, shaking her braided head. N3ON rolled her eyes at the antics of her Killjoys. She was the leader, and it was obvious why.

"So what next?" N3ON asked, turning to Dr. Death Defying. "Blaring Silence found an old truck stop down the way and wondered if it was inhabited."

"Not that I know of," Dr. D replied slowly. "Why?"

"We want to move into it. It's nearby, so we'll be on hand if you need us, but we'll both have more room to live. It's just more _convenient," _she answered. Dr. D nodded in agreement, thoughtfully chewing a mouthful of Power Pup.

"Kobra and Ghoul can help you move in later," he said. "Where is Gracie?"

"Sleeping," Jet Star said, walking in from the back room, "Just like we left her five _hours _ago."

Every occupant of the room burst into laughter. They basked in the moment of care-freeness, until it ended. Grace stumbled sleepily into the room, her hair askew.

"Where is Party?" she asked. "And Truthful?"

"We're not sure," N3ON said, getting down and rubbing the little girl's arm. "But we're going to find out soon."


	9. Escape and Regret

**Nine chapters already? Well I'm just cruising along! It's back to school this Monday, so the chapters won't be as frequent as they just were. Sorry about that! Here we go: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own MCR.**

**Claimer: YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTHFUL! :)**

**Thanks N3ON and Revenge for coming over and having a super awesome party.  
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PARTY POISON'S POV

It was easy to get out of the ropes, just wiggling my wrists the right way made them slip off. I rubbed the circulation back into my hands and contemplated the only other problem; getting Truthful out of here alive. I was less worried about my own personal safety. Who knows what they'd _done_ to the poor girl? The look of complete and utter self-destruction on her face before she blacked out was warning enough. Something in her head had been tampered with, and she needed medical attention. The creepy Asian lady had said that no one would be watching, but I highly doubted she was telling the truth. I guess I was right.

As soon as I picked up Truthful's incapacitated form, the thundering of boots echoed down the long hallway behind the door. I kicked the card slot reception unit, jamming the entire machine. The door, as confused as I was, slid open to reveal an empty white space. I darted into it, running as fast as I could away from the small interrogation chamber. My friend's body slumped in my arms, her weight adding to my struggle. Alarms began to flash, their red strobe lights making me slightly dizzy and disoriented. I needed to focus, to get out of this place. I put one foot in front of the other until I reached the outdoors, the sunlight making me squint. We needed a place to hide. Fast.

Darting into a side alleyway, I listened as chaos reigned inside the building. They would search that little room, but they wouldn't find us. We were sitting ducks in our current position, but I needed to breathe and let my heart slow down. It was nice to be outdoors again, smelling the air. Truthful groaned and shifted in my arms, awakening. I didn't know what state she would be in, and I was worried. Would she remember? Would she still be brainwashed or drugged? What would her initial reaction be to being held so closely? I urged the last thought away, pretending I had never noticed before and that this was normal. The slight twitch in my heart and gut was normal. The way I leaned slightly closer so I could catch her scent was normal. This lovely goose-down feeling in my heart was completely and utterly normal. I was not falling for her.

She nuzzled against my chest buried her face in my neck, her breathing evened out again. Was she asleep? I didn't have time to think about this much more because the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W search-and-retrieve units were being deployed, and knew I didn't have much time to get away. It was now or never. I threw Truthful over my shoulder and hauled myself up the fire escape. I flattened myself against the roof, holding the girl's body close to mine to keep her hidden. If they couldn't see us, we would be fine. Come sunset, we would go home. She groaned again in her sleep, and I covered her mouth with my hand. The movement finally woke her.

"Where am I?" she asked. She turned her head from side to side, looking around curiously.

"Shh," was my only response. She reacted by rolling onto her stomach and scooting next to me, using the opportunity to scope out our surroundings. She was back to normal, thank God.

"Where are we?" she whispered, alert.

"I just rescued you from BLI," I smirked confidently. She didn't even remember her brainwashing? Her _loyalty _to the company?"

"Very funny Party," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's just a dream anyhow."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We haven't rescued you yet. As soon as I wake up from this weird dream, the Killjoys and I are going to come rescue you!"

"Kat," I murmured. Her eyes widened. "You already did. Then you got captured in the process. I came and rescued you, you're alright now. You're not dreaming."

"Oh my goodness, it is you!" she threw her arms around my neck, holding me close. I felt tears soaking into both of our shirts as her thin shoulders shook violently, but it didn't matter. She remembered again. We could go back to normal, living in the desert and having fun. I had to get her back to her brother too, that would be a shock to both of them.

"Do you happen to have a brother?" I asked. _She deserved a little hint. _

"Why do you ask?" her expression went from sad to distant. It was as if her eyes were searching the distant horizon and begging it to bring her brother back.

"Because I have a surprise for you," I smiled, looking back out into the parking lot. The units had disappeared and the patrols had gone back inside. It was time to move out. "Come on." I pulled her arm, tugging her to the fire escape. She jumped off the edge of the roof without looking down. I gasped and leaned over to see if she had died. She was standing on her feet and looking up impatiently, waiting for me. There was no corpse and no blood whatsoever. I guess her body retained the knowledge from training in BLI, or she was some sort of superhuman. I climbed quickly down, joining her on the clean cement of the alleyway.

"I promise you right now, I'll never let you down," she said, looking me straight in the eyes. "Together we can make it while the world is crashing down. Don't turn around."

"Forever now," I answered, reaching for her hand. We looked towards the end of the alley and she nodded, I ran as fast as I could, my legs pumping up and down with my effort. Large puffs of air were pushing each other in and out of my lungs, my body aching for the oxygen. Behind me, I heard Truthful's own heavy breathing. We ran for minutes on end, trying not to fall and avoiding infrequent obstacles. We had a long way to go yet, at least until we reached the secret inner-city base. It was there where I would get hooked up with a car and some food.

Yes, the Killjoys had made sure to create a secret base _inside _the limits of Battery City for this specific purpose. We'd hoped we wouldn't have to visit it, but I guess my luck ran out. All the patrols had been focused closer to BLI, probably looking for us, so it was easy to maneuver our way to the headquarters. It was a dusty white building on the edge of town. I knocked six times in a special pattern, waiting for the tell-tale footsteps of a fellow Killjoy. A boy no older than Truthful opened the door to let us in.

"Party Poison?" he looked shocked. He was at least as tall as me, with blue eyes and a shock of blond hair. His nose looked like that of Julius Cesar, making me smile. "Is it really you?"

"Yes it is, what's your name?" I didn't want to be rude.

"Biohazard," he smiled, offering a hand for me to shake. "And who is this lovely lady?"

"Truthful Blasphemy," she smiled, offering her own hand. Hazard leaned down and kissed the back of it, making me slightly angry. _Was I jealous? _Hazard looked her up and down, taking in her black-and-white apparel.

"Well Truthful, it looks like you're in need of a change of clothes. My girlfriend can help you with that one," he motioned to a small redheaded girl, who practically bounced over. "Lovely, can you get this girl some new clothes?"

"Of course I can," the girl smiled, standing on her tippy-toes to give the boy a kiss on the cheek. "This way please."

Truthful squeezed my hand before letting it go and following the girl away. I turned to Hazard, "So can I contact my friends?"

"Of course, just follow me," he began to walk away. I rolled my eyes and followed him to a small recording station. "This is 306 In The City. Just go in, say your message, and we'll broadcast it."

"Thanks," I walked into the booth and began speaking into the microphone, "Hello all you motor babies, this is Double P on 306 In The City. I'm sending a shout out to Fun Ghoul! Please meet us at the border and bring the car! We're going for a crazy spin! And now for the traffic."

"You're good at that," Hazard said, smiling widely. I just hoped that somewhere in our Zone, the Killjoys were listening to 306 In The City and Fun Ghoul was on his way.

"Well Dr. Death Defying rubs off on me pretty easily," I said with a small chuckle. The boy's eyes widened.

"_You _know Dr. Death Defying?" he practically shouted. I nodded, my eyebrow rising almost into my hairline. _This boy's not right in the brain. "_He's like my hero! Oh, he's so cool!"

"He's my dispatcher," I said, running a hand through my hair to get it out of my eyes.

"Really? I would kill to have him be _my _dispatcher! Of course I run this radio station, so it's not that much of a problem," he began to ramble about radios and other random things as I waited for Truthful to come out. We needed to get to the border.

"Do you think you could transport us to the edge of the city?" I asked, interrupting his tirade about how beautiful his girlfriend was.

"Of course, as soon as your girlfriend gets back," he said.

_Girlfriend? I'd never contemplated the thought before. _Seeing the way Hazard acted around his girlfriend made me slightly jealous, _but I would be worried sick about Truthful all the time. I guess I should tell her about my feelings. In a week, when I know for sure that I have something for her. Then I'll tell her. _Proud of myself, I turned around to face the approaching girls. Truthful was back in her purple skinny jeans and converse, the white shirt she wore had the words "DEATH OR VICTORY" across the top in multicolored lettering. Her vest was gone, replaced by a purple leather jacket. Very nice touch.

"Come on, let's get you two out of here," the girl smiled, pulling Hazard along by the hand.

TRUTHFUL'S POV

I followed the redheaded girl into a back room, filled to the brim with colorful clothes. She introduced herself as Spring Fire.

"So Party Poison is your boyfriend, huh?" the girl asked. I shook my head, slightly saddened by the thought. "But you like him."

"Yes of course! He's everything a guy should be!" I proclaimed. "Strong, caring, brave, smart, and he has a soft side that only shows around certain people. He's absolutely amazing." I sighed.

"So I thought," Spring said with a knowing smile. I grabbed some clothes in my size and changed quickly. I was uncomfortable in the place I didn't know without Party at my side. I practically ran back into the front room, glad to see he hadn't left without me.

"Come on, let's get you two out of here," Spring chirped. She led us to the back of the building, where several white and black cars were parked. "Hazard can take it from here."

"Alright, you guys need to get to the edge of Battery City right?" he asked.

"Yes please," I responded quickly. The three of us clambered into a black car and sped away from the headquarters. I couldn't wait to see Gracie and Ghoul!

N3ON / \ NO3N

As the two lost Killjoys began their journey home, Show Pony was contemplating how to deal with his guilt. He couldn't do anything now. It was too late. What he didn't know was that in the next two hours, his entire life would fall apart before his eyes.


	10. In For A Show

**Hey! Sorry for the long wait...**

**Anyhow, this is CHAPTER 10! So I'd better get 10 reviews! Ok? Ok. Glad we understand each other. **

**For: Electric Revenge, cause she's reading this over my shoulder XD And I luuuurve her. **

**REVIEW BEFORE I SEND FRANK IERO TO EAT YOUR SOUL! *evil laugh, pets Ray***

**Disclaimer: I do not own MCR, although I am going to see them this weekend...SUCK IT WORLD!  
**

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Party Poison's smile grew until it was ear-to-ear, making me smile in turn. He was finally getting home, with no more crazy rescue missions in store for anyone. Life would go back to normal; as normal as it got in 2019.

I still couldn't remember anything from what had happened since my capture. All I remember was getting Party Poison out of his cell, getting him outside, and then a burning sensation _everywhere. _Like I was on fire. Party Poison thinks this may have been the first stage of brainwashing, but I can't be sure. I mean, I can't remember anything past that point, and I'd been gone for nearly three or four days! There was a sudden revving noise, followed by a shout.

"GET IN THE CAR!" came a loud voice, clearly Fun Ghoul's. I hadn't seen him in what seemed like forever. Next to him, riding shotgun, was the blue-haired girl from the Institution. They both smiled and waved from the Trans Am.

"Who let Ghoul drive?" Party rolled his eyes melodramatically, making me giggle into my hand. _Was I flirting…and was Party flirting back? _

"Coming," Party grabbed my hand and we ran, leaping into the backseats of the aging car and zooming off down the highway. Dust billowed up around the back of the tires as we spun wildly, turning where no turns were necessary. No one else ever went on these abandoned roads except messengers like Show Pony and the Draculoids. Even the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W units tended to fade into the desert now and again, preferring that to the tire-melting heat of the asphalt. It was no wonder the Killjoys drove so fast down Route Guano; it was to escape the burning heat of the summer sun on the dry, cracked California ground.

"Aren't you glad to be going back?" I asked Party Poison. He laughed, sticking his torso out the window and allowing his long red hair to be blown back, a grin plastering itself back onto his face.

"WOOHOO!" he shouted, the sound was ripped from his mouth and thrown violently into the wind of the speeding car. "I missed you Cali!"

"Uh-oh," Blue Hair said quietly, then she shouted to us, "Get in the car!"

"What? Why?" Party asked, right before the blinding beam of powerful white light shot past his head. He ducked inside, his eyes wide with realization. He pulled out his yellow ray gun, probably a spare from back home, and leaned back out, facing the oncoming Dracs. "Suck this."

He proceeded to blow up four motorcycles and melt a car tire in five total shots. That man is a genius with a gun in his hands. He swiftly pulled himself back inside, his breath slowly being regained in ragged pants and sighs. Sweat gleamed on his brow, covered in a thin layer of dust.

"Don't hyperventilate," I said, patting his back. Then, in abrupt change of mood, I got excited like any girl would do during something as cool as what he just pulled off. "That was amazing! Where did you learn to do stuff like that?"

"It took me a lot of practice," he said, smiling up at me from his half-kneeling position on the leather seats. As he continued to remember how to breath, I stared straight down into his hazel eyes. For the first time I allowed myself to be swallowed by their soulful depths. It was as if he was searching through my innermost thoughts with just eye contact, and I wasn't going to be the first to break it. Unfortunately, the car broke down right then, and threw us both onto the hard floor. Ghoul swore a couple of times before getting out of the driver's seat and standing before the junky thing like a conqueror. He angrily kicked the tire.

"Stupid machine," he kicked it, swearing again. As if by magic, the engine roared to life, bringing the sharp scent of gasoline and blue fume clouds along with it. Ghoul clambered back into his seat and slammed his foot on the pedal, driving us the rest of the way home. The closer we got, the darker Party's expression became, until it was clouded with something that might have been close to physical _pain. _

"What am I gonna do about Show?" he asked no one in particular, throwing his head back against the seat, closing his eyes against the world.

"What happened with Show Pony?" I asked, clearly confused.

"Show was the one who turned me in. He radioed everyone out of the building, claiming that I had rescued you already, and knocked me out right in front of your room. He simply stunned me with his ray gun and skated off, back to the car I suppose. I was captured and the rest is history," Party shrugged nonchalantly. I could tell that deep down, he was hurting over his friend's betrayal. His eyes were everywhere but on me as his leather gloved hands twisted nervously in his lap. _Party Poison usually isn't like this. In all the time I've known him, he's _never _been like this. So nervous, scared, used, and…and…vulnerable. _

"Did he give a reason?" I asked, trying to mask the worry and compassion in my voice. That was probably the last thing he wanted to hear right now. "Those actions couldn't have been unwarranted."

"He has a sister who lives in a different state, Nevada, I think. She'd been captured by Dracs, and this was his only way to get her out and free. I highly doubt that BLI stuck to their deal, but Show Pony did have a reason."

"Reason or not, he gave your life up to BLI. We could have rescued his sister, but no…he chose to betray a friend to the enemy. That's punishable by death in some places," Fun said, a dark tone lacing his voice. "That boy is in a whole heap of trouble."

"I would sure think so," Blue Hair said, turning around from her seat to see us. She changed the topic quickly, clearly uncomfortable, "I'm Electric Revenge, it's nice to finally meet you."

"I'm-"

"Truthful Blasphemy, I know," she smiled widely and turned back to face the windshield, humming a song I thought I recognized from an old ghost-hunting movie. It was a comforting distraction, until we pulled into the Diner's parking lot and piled out of the beat-up muscle car.

"Alright, just breathe easy," I said to Party. He raised and eyebrow at me and laughed.

"It's not like I'm giving birth," he snorted. Ghoul and Revenge laughed too. I just rolled my eyes and stomped into the house, taking in everything for the second time, welcoming that feeling of "home". When I entered the kitchen, I was mobbed by two men, Kobra Kid and Jet Star.

"You're back all safe and sound!" they shouted in unison, making me giggle a little bit and run a hand over my pony tail.

"I am, and how are you?" I asked.

"Good," Jet Star smiled, "Missile Kid missed you."

"Missile Kid?" I asked. Jet shook his head, his curls bombilating.

"G-Force changed her name," he explained. I nodded in agreement and turned to the large group of strangers I was yet to be introduced to.

"Hello, I'm Truthful Blasphemy," I introduced. Show Pony edged out of the room, into the back of the house. Probably to climb out a rear window and escape to freedom before he could be caught and convicted.

"I'm N3ON Dynamite," said a tall black-and-red haired girl. She pointed to a blond boy standing behind her, "And this is Leather Deathwish."

"Nice to meet you," I smiled.

"I'm Spaztic Lazerbeam, and that's Blaring Silence and Shadow Artist," the mouse-girl pointed to herself and two other people. I acknowledged them too.

"Last but not least," came a slightly familiar voice, "I'm Deadly Havoc."

"Wait…Zach…is that you?" I slowly turned around the face the last one, and my eyes widened at the sight of my brother. My twin brother. My fraternal twin brother who'd been missing for years. I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and feeling his skinny arms close around my waist. Like a bear trap. "I missed you so much. Where did you go?" "I got up the guts to go into the Zones first," he said, ruffling my hair gently. "I should have taken you with me."

"Darn straight!" I cried, feeling the tears come. _I had spent an entire year searching for him, before I learned to cope with the loss. I was finally back with my only true family. _"Why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't know what else to do," he said, still clinging to me. As we cried our tears of happiness, Show Pony was dragged in, kicking and flailing, by an angry looking Party Poison.

"So how are we going to deal with this little issue?" Party asked the room full of people.

"What issue?" half of them asked.

"Should I tell, or will _you?" _Party asked Show. Show Pony lowered his head and stepped forward, pulling off the helmet to reveal shoulder-length black hair and crystalline blue eyes.

"I betrayed Party Poison to BLI, to free my sister. She was kidnapped a couple months ago, and I was contacted by an employee who recognized her. The employee told me that if I cooperated she would not be harmed. I did what I had to do for family," he stood tall, although the saltwater stains on his face said otherwise about his feelings. He was an emotional wreck, and no one could blame him.

Dr. Death Defying stepped forward and placed a hand on the young man's trembling shoulder. "I think it would be best if you stayed in another Zone for awhile. You can come back in two months time and resume your apprenticeship with me, but no earlier. You did a very bad thing, Show Pony."

"You are so gracious not to just kill me on the spot, I don't deserve your mercy," Show said, sobbing now. His frail shoulders were wracked with the regret and grief he had been hiding from the rest of them. Finally, Show Pony came out of his shell and really let other people know how he felt.

"You can stay here tonight," Dr. D intoned, "But tomorrow morning I'm taking you over to Zone S4 for awhile to stay with some of the kids there. You should come too Truthful, you'd like to meet them."

"Sounds cool," I smiled. "But I need to nap right now, cause I'm really tired."

"Same here," Party said. We both walked into the back room and fell into our respective beds, sighing in perfect harmony before falling into a deep sleep.

SHOW PONY

In my mind, I replayed all the worst possible situations. They would throw me into the desert, alone and unworthy of their communication or friendship. That was the worst I could possibly think of, and the punishment I most deserved. Cruel and fitting to the horrible crime I had committed. I knew that Party was coming back, and he would bring Truthful too. I had been really terrible towards her, and now karma was biting me in the butt. I didn't deserve to live.

When I received my sentence, I was so happy. They weren't going to banish me forever. But now I'd have to find a way to fix all the broken relationships and slowly rebuild the trust I had come to know in them. I had really screwed up. And now I was going to pay for it.


	11. The Lights Go Out

**This is it ladies and gentlemen, the finale of Sing It Out. Eventually, as soon as I can talk her into it, N3ON will upload the sequel she's written. It's really good. Now in your review i want you to say "Yes" if you want the sequel to be released and "No" if you don't. If I can get five "Yes"es then N3ON will upload it. Ok?**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and the plotline.**

**The concert was amazing. Really. We Killjoys can make a lot of noise...  
**

* * *

The car was silent on the ride to Zone S4. Show Pony sat, sullen and alone, in the back seat. Next to Dr. D, Truthful was chattering away with the DJ. "So what are they like in Zone S4?"

"This is the fifth time you've asked me, and I've told you every single time that they're almost the same as us here in the Main Base. Don't worry your pretty purple head about it," Dr. D was a patient man, but now he was on the brink of exasperation with the young woman. She just _would not be quiet! "_We're here!"

Two faces, one excited and one frightened, turned towards the window. Show Pony stepped out of the back of the Trans Am, his head hung low. His small bag of belongings (an extra outfit and Ray Gun ammunition packets) held firmly in his sweaty fist. He didn't know anyone here, and frankly he was scared.

TRUTHFUL BLASPHEMY POV

"Hey guys!" Dr. Death Defying called to two boys not fifteen feet away. The nodded in our direction and ambled over, their shoulders stooped from the heat.

"This the one we're taking in?" they motioned to me, looking me up and down and nodding. I slapped the tallest one, a boy with brown hair, across the face.

"You really shouldn't be so obvious next time you're checking a _lady _out," I said in a very snarky tone. I wasn't going to take anything from the likes of this.

"Sorry I'm so dirty babe," said another one. This one had blond hair and brown eyes. I raised my hand.

"Wanna matching handprint?" I asked. He took a large step back and shook his head 'no'. "That's what I thought."

Dr. D chuckled from behind me. "Good job Truth, it takes a lot of courage to put those boys in their place. No girl has ever been brave enough to do it before."

"Well it looks like you'll need some training," I sighed. Dr. D changed the subject back to it's main point, dropping off Show Pony for his banishment period. He wasn't even allowed to contact any of us.

"This right here is Show Pony, he'll be the one staying with you," Dr. D introduced them to each other. Show Pony hung back, his helmet obscuring all of his facial features. The boys looked at each other before turning back towards their small house.

"Come on horse boy, we're going to show you around and get you situated," the tallest one said. Show Pony skated behind them waving back at us over his shoulder one last time before disappearing.

"A couple months here aught to whip that boy into shape," Dr. D said.

"I sure hope so," I replied. We got back into the car and drove in silence back to the main base. I realized a few very important things on the way back that I knew I should tell Party and N3ON about as soon as possible.

"N3ON!" I called, stepping out of the car once we'd arrived. "I think I'm going to move into the new Zone T3 warehouse with you and the others."

"Why?" she asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow. "I thought you were with Poison."

"I though I liked him, but I've realized we weren't meant to go anywhere. It's just not for us. I hate to see it end, but it was never really there. It's not like we'll never see them again. What with Revenge and Ghoul being doe-eyed over each other."

As if to prove my point, the two of them walked around a corner hand-in-hand. Their eyes were locked on each other, whispered words slipping from either's mouths to land in the other's ear. I wanted that, but I didn't think I would get it with Party. It just wasn't meant to happen between us. On the other hand, I could see that N3ON had something deeper than friendship for the man.

"I guess we'll just have to make room for you, welcome aboard," N3ON smiled. I could tell she was relieved over the fact that I was no longer interested in him.

"I'll go pack my stuff, since I see you're leaving soon," I said, darting inside. She simply nodded and watched my retreating form. I jogged down the hallway to my little cot, shoving my ray gun into it's holster and strapping it to my leg. I would need that handy later, should we run into a Drac patrol on our way to the warehouse. My face fell a little bit. Was I meant to be a complete loner?

"You leaving?" came a voice from behind me. I turned around to face Kobra Kid. He had always been so distant that I didn't really expect him to talk to me ever again.

"I guess so," I answered, turning around to fix my bed.

"Missile Kid will be devastated," he said.

"She can come visit any time she wants," I offered. "It's not like I'm dying and you'll never see me again."

"You never know," Kobra shrugged. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you for the overwhelming confidence. I'll need it later I'm sure," I said, sarcasm practically dripping from every word. Kobra just shrugged again and left the room to find something more interesting to do than hang out with me. I finished packing my very few belongings and went to find Revenge. I wanted to tell her I was coming along. I found her in the diner, her lips holding steadfast to Ghoul's. I made a gagging noise and they separated with a blush.

"That's a whole lotta nasty," I said. Revenge flipped me a dirty finger sign and Ghoul just cussed me out for no apparent reason other than interrupting his make-out session. "So anyway, I'm coming with you guys."

"Cool, I think it's about time to go now anyhow," Revenge said, standing slowly from the warm plastic booth seat and striding over to meet me. "N3ON can get really impatient."

"Yes I can, now get your keesters in that truck before I do it myself," N3ON snapped from the doorway. We ran the rest of the way to an unfamiliar blue-green-purple-red-and white striped truck. "This is my baby, the Rebel Wagon."

"Where did you get this thing from?" Ghoul asked, looking around.

"A place," N3ON said, wiping some sweat off of her forehead with a bandana. "Now it's time to go, load 'em up!"

"Wait!" Party called from inside. He ran out, snapping his holster on. "Let me help me set everything up."

"No problem," N3ON said. I shook my head and got in, Party next to me. I felt slightly awkward but didn't protest. He didn't know about my feelings, so I didn't think it would be a problem.

"I can come visit, right?" Party asked, twisting his hands in his lap as he looked at N3ON in the front seat. She owned that place like a Queen owns a throne. Her presence was powerful.

"Of course. But you'll have to give us a warning first. We'd hate to be taken by surprise by the Fabulous Killjoys," Revenge piped up. We arrived at the warehouse, which was already covered in graffiti. "We're home."

_Home. It began with four white walls and ends with four colorful ones._

_It began with a little bit of romance and it ends with friendship._

_I began on my own, with a heart full of pain and it ends fully satisfied with my choices._

_I knew the boy who was waiting for what tomorrow would bring. I was the girl who was what tomorrow needed. He saw what tomorrow would bring. I was sold by my own father. The circle is nearly complete. _

* * *

**KEEP RUNNING! **

**Truthful Blasphemy**

**Over and out!  
**


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